White House explains 'fundamental concerns' about CISPA

Obama administration officials responded Tuesday to an online petition campaigning against the controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act legislation that passed through the House of Representatives on April 18.

Obama claimed he would issue a presidential veto on the bill
when it was initially proposed in 2012 and has maintained that
stance during the law’s resurgence, citing privacy concerns. CISPA
would grant corporations and the federal government an
unprecedented amount of legal leeway to share personal information
about Internet users.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Electronic
Frontier Foundation (EFF) have been vocal in their opposition of
the bill. A last-minute, closed-door meeting by the House
Intelligence Committee adopted three amendments to the bill just
before CISPA passed in the House.

“Even though a bill went on to pass the House of
Representatives and includes some important improvements over
previous versions, this legislation still doesn’t adequately
address our fundamental concerns,” the White House response
issued Tuesday reads.

“But it’s not good enough to just stop things: We’ve got to
work together, with legislators on Capitol Hill, technology experts
from the private sector, and engaged associates like you to advance
cyber-security legislation without compromising
privacy.”

A “We the People” petition on the bill attracted more than
100,000 signatures, the number necessary to warrant an official
White House response.

CISPA opponents have reason to celebrate, though, as the bill is
widely considered dead. After passing through the House,
legislation is required to pass through the Senate before reaching
the president. With Obama’s opposition firmly intact, the Senate has given little indication that the bill is
even up for consideration, although Sen. Dianne Feinstein
(D-California) said Monday that a group of Senators is
“currently drafting a bipartisan information sharing
bill.”

The White House response advised lawmakers to “not provide
broad immunity for businesses and organizations.” The
administration also recommended “minimizing information that can
be used to identify specific individuals” by stripping web user
information of personally identifying characteristics, a
proposition the House Intelligence Committee refused to hear before
sending CISPA to the chamber for a vote.